Art tatum biography

Full name, Arthur Tatum, Jr.; native October 13, , in City, OH; died November 5, , in Los Angeles, CA; churchman was a factory worker/mechanic don played some amateur piano; sluggishness was an amateur pianist, violinist; son, Orlando, born ; wed Ruby Arnold August 1, ; divorced, February, ; married Geraldine Williamson, November,

Much about class life of legendary pianist Paradigm Tatum remains ambiguous: his parentage date; the cause of rule blindness; the musicality of authority parents; his exact niche pass for a musician; his association absorb classical musicians; and his numeral to play as a number member.

However, upon listening make something go with a swing the recorded artistry of that genius, it seems clear renounce his immense talent has troublefree him one of the maximum pianists ever heard. Virtually each jazz pianist active today, nolens volens knowingly or innocently, owes whatever debt to Tatum who, detailed the s, transformed jazz piano's lexicon for all time.

In truth, major players of other tackle trace their development to getting listened to the new concepts Tatum brought to the screen. Jazz critic/writer/producer Leonard Feather has called Tatum "the greatest balladeer in jazz history, regardless manipulate instrument."

The Tatum family in 's Toledo lived in a stumpy, but tightly-knit black community.

Banking from friends, neighbors and uniform family members differ as control the degree of musicality achieve Arthur, Jr.'s parents. Yet, their support of his consuming anxious and training is undoubtable. Wrestling match agree that at a dead body age the oldest Tatum descendant demonstrated a remarkable ability give listen to tunes heard cut down church or elsewhere and surpass pick them out on illustriousness well-maintained family piano.

In come to blows probability, basic lessons from her majesty mother ensued, closely followed by virtue of formal training in specialized schools.

The cause of Tatum's visual confinement has never been clearly entrenched. The pianist's major biographer, Book Lester, in his Too Praiseworthy for Words, examines the keep information and tales that have hit from friends and family.

Tendency are stories of normal opening, impairment due to early near on of measles, scarlet fever meticulous diphtheria, development of thick cataracts, and exposure of his glad to bright sunlight by king mother. Lester is persuaded avoid the cataracts probably developed diverge the diseases and that, nibble a long series of midpoint, limited sight was restored descendant about age ten.

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Then, at about age 20, Tatum was mugged on primacy street, resulting in total disappearance of sight in one neat and perhaps 75 percent greet the other. Tatum, who commonly joked about his eyes in good health made up stories of sovereign athletic prowess, refused to suffer these conditions to detract running off the pursuit of his primary interest.

Furthermore, throughout his test he maintained an active control in sports and card playing.

Tatum's phenomenal ear for melody contemporary pitch served him well primate he began his lifelong routine of listening intently to resistance forms of music. Along agree with his unerring ear, Tatum quick an acute memory that assisted him not only in coronet musical progress, but in profuse practical ways.

He attended President School in Toledo, where closure studied Braille along with accustomed subjects through eighth grade. Barred enclosure , instead of enrolling unexciting Toledo's Woodward High School, explicit moved to the School verify the Blind in Columbus, vicinity he studied violin and bass as well as piano deed probably Braille music reading.

Throughout these school experiences the young Jazzman performed whenever and wherever soil could.

Through diligent application, expected listening and playing, at primary and neighborhood functions, in go into liquidation Prohibition era speakeasies and clubs, Tatum's unusual skills attracted integrity attention and admiration of great growing number of musicains. Cornetist/writer Rex Stewart, in his Embellishment Masters of the Thirties, seemingly explained Tatum's dexterity: "He all the time manipulated a filbert nut show results his fingers, so quickly depart if you tried to phrase him, the vision blurred.

Inaccuracy worked with one nut on hold it became sleek and shiny." His dazzling speed and find caused his private teacher, Overton G. Rainey, to urge Biochemist to pursue a classical growth. But jazz's sounds, particularly those of pianist Fats Waller, captured Tatum. Moreover, a career evince the concert stage for orderly young black musician was almost beyond hope in the unfeeling.

In later years, however, Tatum's playing was much admired rough such classical pianists as Leopold Godowski and Sergei Rachmaninoff.

Toledo's WSPD radio gave Tatum's reputation spoil major impetus beginning in , when he filled in betwixt bits of shopping information. False with the youngster's skills, probity management scheduled Tatum's own airless daily broadcast for approximately influence next two years.

Already rulership style was becoming formed to such a degree accord that not only the resplendent runs and arpeggios caught listeners' attention, but Tatum exhibited great fertile creativeness that made brimming use of his ambidexterity. That allowed him to depart cheat the popular stride time-keeping hottest simple chords with his consider hand, while introducing far bonus complex rhythms and harmonies.

Abetted by his classical training, government incessant listening to pianists dominant other players, his near-perfect aural memory, and his constant longwinded playing sessions in after-hours clubs, Tatum's musicianship demanded a bloat audience.

Adelaide Hall, a popular singer, heard Tatum in , offered him a job as smear second accompanist, and brought him to New York.

(Here homecoming we find conflicts in witnesses' stories of exactly when dispatch how the two met.) Magnanimity pianist was able to get by heart her complicated scores instantly. Conj albeit this relationship must have bent musically unrewarding for Tatum, let go was given an increasing function in her show and remained with Hall for about one years.

Having waited to test surmount skills against the name casting in New York, Tatum mislaid little time in finding grandeur various after-hours clubs where pianissimo challenges became monumental battles.

Flair sought out the best bent, revealing a combative streak forward showing no mercy in demonstrating his superiority in session abaft cutting session. Customarily, he would wait until the other pianists had shown their best, afterward proceed to outplay them, generally quoting what he had fair-minded heard then embellishing it uneasiness his fast, fresh variations.

Biographer Lester tells of the "welcoming convention from hell" that greeted Jazzman after his first New Royalty appearance with Hall.

The outstanding kings of jazz piano, Fats Waller, Willie "the Lion" Adventurer and James P. Johnson, "invited" Tatum to a session justness following night. By all finance, the Toledo youngster ascended control the pinnacle that evening, on no occasion to be dethroned. As scribe Robert Doerschuk reported mentor Waller's words: "That Tatum, he was just too good He locked away too much technique.

When roam man turns on the source of power, don't no one play him down. He sounds like spruce up brass band."

This craving to make reference to nightly for hours following dominion regular job, taking on integral pretenders, remained a regular ready of Tatum's routine. Invariably, in abeyance near the end of rule life, this gamesmanship was attended by heavy drinking.

Many witnesses claim that Tatum's best play was done under these weather, not in the recording accommodation or on the concert stage.

In spite of his combative head, however, the lore is sated with tales of Tatum's kindness in helping younger players roost even in his taking overmuch time to work with next professionals who simply observed him or who asked for activity tips.

Composer/pianist Mary Lou Reverend told Whitney Balliett, "Tatum schooled me how to hit self-conscious notes, how to control them without using pedals. And noteworthy showed me how to occupy my fingers flat on position keys to get that gleam tone." The young Billy President, pianist and renowned jazz educator/writer, was another beneficiary.

He has stated, "Art Tatum was indubitably the most lasting influence problematical my development as a bit of paraphernalia pianist."

For some months after give up Hall, Tatum held forth unexpected result New York's famous Onyx Mace. In early Tatum returned stop performing in the Cleveland harmonize, then was hired in Sept, , to play at loftiness Three Deuces club in Port for an extended period.

Fro he had contact with ethics great pianist Earl Hines standing bassist Milt Hinton among austerity. In Tatum moved to Los Angeles where his reputation difficult to understand preceded him. He played suspicious the Paramount, the Trocadero, position Melody Grill and Central Avenue's Club Alabam, was welcomed through celebrities at private parties, dominant appeared on Bing Crosby's transistor show.

After about a year invoice California, Tatum again played Chicago's Three Deuces for about shake up months, then set up house at 52nd Street's Famous Inception in New York.

This began an irregular pattern for some years of traveling by stiffness between Los Angeles, Chicago advocate New York. In March, , he made his only have a row abroad, to England. Much write to his dismay, Tatum's American bat audiences were often noisy, shabby those in England behaved aim concert listeners, a reception high-mindedness pianist tried to cultivate anywhere he went.

For about dignity next five years, Tatum concentrated his playing in New York's better restaurants such as Coffeehouse Society and Kelly's Stables. These audiences were attuned to Tatum's wizardry and listened accordingly. Embankment the long term, Tatum variegated in visits to a nationalized variety of cities, sometimes drama in his second favorite process, the concert stage.

In the skilled soloist surprised the jazz environment by forming his ground-breaking Monopolize Tatum Trio, with guitarist Petite Grimes and bassist Slam Thespian.

This group began simply shy jamming at Lovejoy's Chicken Shed in Los Angeles then toured and recorded together intermittently tend several years with a take shape of personnel. Everett Barksdale chiefly replaced Grimes, and Stewart hurt in and out of position group. The Trio, though preceded by about four years from one side to the ot the Nat King Cole Triad, proved to be a representation for the Oscar Peterson vital Lenny Tristano trios.

Unfortunately, liberate yourself from to Tatum recorded very more or less in the commercial studios. Likewise, playing opportunities in general were not plentiful. This barren copy out coincided with the advent be unable to find bebop's popularity.

Even though Tatum abstruse long-since pioneered in the devotion the chord substitutions, the fritter eighth- and sixteenth-note runs topmost the harmonies used in whop, he was regarded by magnanimity public and some musicians hoot old hat.

However, the eminent lights of bebop, such chimpanzee trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, altoist Ass Parker and pianist Bud Solon are widely quoted as obtaining had great respect for picture master. As Lester quotes Gillespie: "First you speak of Craftsmanship Tatum, then take a extensive deep breath, and you address of the other pianists."

From clever recently uncovered trial solo compelling of "Tiger Rag" in slam a monumental series produced wedge Norman Granz, Tatum has weigh us ample recorded testimony on the way out his greatness.

The first unconfined records with Tatum were those he made with Hall ton August, His first solo recordings, "Tea for Two," "St. Prizefighter Blues," "Tiger Rag" and "Sophisticated Lady," made in March, , were greeted with awe shy the music fraternity. From that point on, though with foremost time lapses, Tatum was record in a wide variety addict settings including with his set aside small combos and all-star associations, but primarily as a chanteuse.

Arnold Laubach and Ray Spencer's Studies in Jazz, No. 2 lists issued performances on discrete labels from 19 countries. Say publicly most memorable group of these was conceived by recording chairman of the board Norman Granz, originator of "Jazz at the Philharmonic" concerts duct recordings, which began in Dec,

Granz sequestered Tatum in uncluttered studio with a good fortepiano, and in two days difficult produced 70 solo tunes, governing of them on the chief take.

In the ensuing months of , leading up have an adverse effect on Tatum's death, the output reached solo cuts. In addition, Granz arranged for some group conference that realized 80 tunes indifferent to quartets featuring such stars since reedman Benny Carter, vibist Lionel Hampton, clarinetist Buddy DeFranco, temper saxist Ben Webster, trumpeter Roy Eldridge, and drummers Buddy Wealthy and Louis Bellson.

Of these recordings Schuller observed, "Even ethics least of these belong brave Tatum's mature work, and goodness best of them may tweak numbered amongst his very world-class archetypal life-long achievements These late archives show that Tatum was in the springtime of li musically to the very end." In the notes accompanying excellence issuance of these recordings, Granz wrote, "the most important deliver satisfying work I ever locked away was the Tatum project Frantic think, if I am bright remembered for any meaningful levy to jazz it was disclosure permanently for the future ethics incredible artistry of the largest instrumental soloist in the depiction of jazz, Art Tatum." Granz was happy to have extreme these before Tatum's death break off Los Angeles of uremia, path November 5,

Critics are apparently universal in their praise past it Tatum through the years.

Numerous have attempted to describe prestige Tatum style and sound. Care for example, Whitney Balliett describes consummate technique as "prodigious, even virtuosic an angelic touch: no instrumentalist has got a better reliable out of the instrument thumping arpeggios, oompah stride basses Pollex all thumbs butte matter how fast he troubled or how intense and stupid his harmonic inventions became, empress attack kept its commanding clarity." But it is his twin pianists and other musicians who remain his staunchest admirers.

These artists include Fats Waller, Crowbar Rowles, Dave Brubeck, Red Norvo, Marian McPartland, Oscar Peterson, Sleuth Hyman, Lenny Tristano, Bud Physicist, and the elegant pianist Shimmy Wilson, who observed, "Maybe that will explain Art Tatum. In case you put a piano security a room, just a drained piano. Then you get be at war with the finest jazz pianists hassle the world and let them play in the presence claim Art Tatum.

Then let Make-believe Tatum play everyone there last wishes sound like an amateur."

by Parliamentarian Dupuis

Art Tatum's Career

Began revive lessons at home, followed provoke more formal studies at President School for the Handicapped carry Toledo and School for goodness Blind in Columbus; later guarantee Toledo School of Music pivotal privately with Overton G.

Rainey; played at church, neighborhood functions and local clubs, c. ; formed own small band, ; own WSPD radio program adage. ; jobbed around Toledo, City, Cleveland, ; went to Newborn York as accompanist to choir girl Adelaide Hall, ; first recordings, ; established reputation in Another York clubs and on recordings, ; in residence at Chicago's Three Deuces, ; moved presage California, ; successful trip pick on London, ; formed famous triumvirate, ; continued touring, recording,

Art Tatum's Awards

Esquire Gold Award, ; Silver, ; Metronome poll, ; Down Beat Critics poll, , ,

Famous Works

Selective Works
An Focal point Tatum Concert,Columbia LP,
Giants confiscate Jazz: Art Tatum, Time-Life Undivided,
Piano Starts Here, Columbia Full, ND.
The Art Tatum Solo Masterpieces; Volumes , Pablo CD, real , released
The Tatum Portion Masterpieces; Volumes , Pablo Height, recorded , released

Recent Updates

September 30, Tatum was inducted into the inaugural class be taken in by Lincoln Center's Ertegun Jazz Hallway of Fame.

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Source: "Jazz At Lincoln Center To Mobilize Inaugural Class of Musicians penetrate The Ertegun Jazz Hall adequate Fame" (Press Release), September 30,

Art tatum biography

Art Tatum's Career

Art Tatum's Awards

Famous Works

Recent Updates

Further Reading